Pope: Wasting food is stealing from the poor, so stop tossing leftovers

The next time you throw away your leftovers, you may want to imagine the pope shaking his head and waving a finger in disappointment.

Since taking office in March, Pope Francis has made it clear he’s an advocate for the poor, which means the Argentine isn’t down with wasting food. In fact, he thinks it’s as bad as stealing from the poor.

During his weekly general address Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope condemned a “culture of waste,� reported Reuters.

“Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry,� said Francis.

The pope’s denunciation came on the same day the United Nations began its anti-food-waste campaign for World Environment Day. The campaign is meant to bring attention to the 1.3 billion tons of food wasted each year and encourage people to reduce their “foodprint,� according the the U.N. website.

The U.N. released a study Wednesday stating that better storage and the reduction of oversized portions could best curb food waste and reduce the number of people -- 870 million -- affected by hunger.

“Consumerism has made us accustomed to wasting food daily, and we are unable to see its real value,� said Francis.

The pope also suggested that people adopt their grandparents’ frugal habits, which included an unwillingness to throw away leftovers.

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